Listening Time — 26:25

Listen on Apple Listen on Castbox Listen on Spotify

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, talks with Madeline Ratoza, PT, DPT, PhD, Rupal Patel, PT, PhD, and Julia Chevan, PT, DPT, PhD, who used a cross-sectional geographic information systems approach across census tracts and licensure records to look at rehabilitation provider availability in Texas. Their study found that availability varies dramatically and is often much lower in communities with higher disability prevalence and poverty rates, and with larger proportions of Hispanic and non-white residents. The authors discuss what inspired the research question, how they defined access as a metric, and the follow-up actions they recommend from the study.

Ratoza, Patel, and Chevan are co-authors of the article “Geographic Disparities in Rehabilitation Provider Availability and Community Demographics in Texas: A Cross-Sectional Geographic Information Systems Study.” Read the article on the PTJ website and follow PTJ on LinkedIn and Bluesky for more research updates.  

Our Speakers

Steven George, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is editor-in-chief of PTJ: Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal. He is the Laszlo Ormandy Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery and therapeutic area lead in Musculoskeletal and Surgical Sciences, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University.

Madeline Ratoza, PT, DPT, PhD, is an assistant professor in the College of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

Rupal Patel, PT, PhD, is an associate professor in the School of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman’s University.

Julia Chevan, PT, DPT, PhD, is professor emerita and adjunct faculty with the Springfield College DPT program in Springfield, Massachusetts, and senior program manager at the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.